"It was essentially for self defence that we went to war in Afghanistan and would go to war in Iraq"

In this quote, Douglas Hurd, a prominent British politician and former Foreign Secretary, is expressing a perspective on the motivations behind military interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq. His words suggest that the main reasoning for taking part in these wars was self-defense. To interpret this statement fully, we need to examine the historical and geopolitical contexts of both disputes.

The war in Afghanistan, started in 2001, was mainly a response to the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States. The Taliban regime, which was in control of Afghanistan at the time, had actually supplied safe haven to al-Qaeda, the group accountable for the attacks. Hurd's recommendation to self-defense lines up with the widely accepted view that the preliminary objective was to dismantle terrorist networks and prevent future attacks, hence safeguarding nationwide security.

The war in Iraq, beginning in 2003, is more controversial. The U.S. and its allies, consisting of the United Kingdom, validated the invasion by claiming that Saddam Hussein's regime had weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) and positioned an imminent hazard. Although these WMDs were never found, the argument of self-defense was used to legitimize the military action. Hurd's use of "would fight" suggests a future tense from the perspective of the time when this statement might have been made, possibly indicating a conditional support of the war if certainly justified by the requirements of self-defense.

Critics have frequently contested these justifications, especially with Iraq, suggesting alternative intentions such as geopolitical strategy, control over oil resources, or improving the Middle East. Hurd's quote can be seen as an effort to frame these complex interventions in easier, more relatable regards to nationwide security and self-preservation. This interpretation triggers further questioning about the ethical and tactical measurements of foreign policy decisions and their positioning with the principle of self-defense. Eventually, Hurd's declaration requires reflection on how countries justify war, the evidence they provide for such validation, and the broader implications these choices have on global relations and worldwide security.